Content hosted on these platforms was found to be obscene and portrayed women in a demeaning manner.
The Central Government on Thursday announced its action to block 18 OTT platforms and associated social media accounts due to their publication of obscene, vulgar, and in some cases pornographic content.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated in a release that 18 OTT platforms, 19 websites, 10 Apps (seven on Google Play Store, three on Apple App Store) and 57 social media accounts linked to them have been disabled for public access in India.
The platforms affected by the action include Dreams Films, Voovi, Yessma, Uncut Adda, Tri Flicks, X Prime, Neon X VIP, Besharams, Hunters, Rabbit, Xtramood, Nuefliks, MoodX, Mojflix, Hot Shots VIP, Fugi, Chikooflix and Prime Play.
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur stressed the platforms’ responsibility to avoid spreading obscenity, vulgarity and abuse under the guise of ‘creative expression’. The decision to take action against OTT platforms was made under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000 in consultation with other ministries/departments of the government, as well as domain experts specialising in media and entertainment, women’s rights and child rights, the statement added.
A significant portion of the content hosted on these platforms was found to be obscene, vulgar, and portrayed women in a demeaning manner. It depicted nudity and sexual acts in various inappropriate contexts, such as relationships between teachers and students, incestuous family relationships and so on. The content included sexual innuendos and, in some instances, prolonged segments of pornographic and sexually explicit scenes devoid of any thematic or societal relevance.
The content was determined to be prima facie in violation of Section 67 and 67A of the IT Act, Section 292 of the IPC, and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986. One of the OTT apps amassed more than one crore downloads, while two others had over 50 lakh downloads on the Google Play Store. Additionally, these OTT platforms extensively utilised social media to disseminate trailers, specific scenes, and external links aimed at attracting audiences to their websites and apps. The social media accounts of the concerned OTT platforms had a cumulative followership of over 32 lakh users.
The Ministry of I&B consistently conducts sensitisation efforts with OTT platforms and their self-regulatory bodies established under the IT Rules, 2021 through meetings, webinars and workshops. The Government of India remains committed to fostering the growth and development of the OTT industry. Several measures have been undertaken in this regard, including the introduction of the Inaugural OTT Award for Web Series at the 54th International Film Festival of India, collaboration with OTT platforms in the media and entertainment sector, and the establishment of a light touch regulatory framework with an emphasis on self-regulation under the IT Rules, 2021.
